Vantage Bank says the future of business payments is faster, simpler, and safer. Here’s how the Hazel Network makes it possible

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored content provided by Vantage Bank. It was not produced by the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal editorial staff.

Money should move as fast as you do. Yet many businesses wait days for payments to clear, juggle wire windows, and lean on back-office teams to push transactions through by hand. But there’s a better way coming, and it’s built to work inside the banking system you already trust.

In a recent interview, the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal sat down with Shawn Main, EVP and Chief Business Architect at Vantage Bank, a locally owned community bank, and co-founder of the Hazel Network, to break down tokenization in plain language.

Here’s what it means for your business, why it’s safer than you might think, and where the industry is headed.

Shawn has spent 25 years in banking, 18 of them at Vantage. Prior to entering the banking domain, he spent time at Rackspace Technologies, one of the original cloud providers, where he learned how systems get built and how money and technology fit together. That mix of banking roots and engineering know-how fueled his interest in digital assets and inspired the Hazel Network.

What tokenization means and why it’s safer inside the bank

Tokenization sounds complicated, but the idea is simple. Think about how you pay a friend today with Venmo or Cash App. You tap a button, the money moves, and you’re done.

Now think about your business account. Sending money means checks, wires, ACH, routing numbers, and a Monday-through-Friday, 8-to-5 window. If you and a vendor want to settle up at night or on a weekend, the current tools slow you down.

“Tokenization allows us to get to real-time, 24/7 settlement,” Shawn explained. “In other words, it’s a faster, digital rail for moving money. Our job as your bank is to make it as easy as tapping that button, so you can do business on the schedule that works best for you.”

But doesn’t anything involving digital assets feel risky?

Shawn flips that thinking. A stablecoin acts like a digital cashier’s check. Instead of handing over a physical check worth $1 million, you send a token backed by that same trusted value. Many businesses already use stablecoins and tokenized assets held outside the banking system — without FDIC insurance or the compliance protections you expect from a bank.

The safer path is to bring these tools inside the banking system. With tokenized deposits, you keep speed and flexibility, plus FDIC insurance, compliance checks, and personal attention that help you know your money is protected.

Real benefits for small businesses and cross-border trade

Along the southern border, commerce moves between the U.S. and Mexico. That’s where faster money movement shines.

Today, a manufacturer paying a supplier across the border often routes payments through multiple intermediary banks, each adding fees and delays. Stablecoins can make those payments direct, cutting out the middlemen, lowering costs, and speeding things up.

Picture this: a logistics truck drops off goods, the foreman confirms everything arrived, and the moment he checks the box, payment goes out to the supplier and the driver at the same time. No one in the back office has to lift a finger. That’s programmable money at work, and it’s a real advantage for manufacturing and logistics companies.

What is the Hazel Network

Back in 2020, a Vantage risk assessment pointed straight to digital assets as both a risk for disintermediation and an opportunity. The takeaway was clear: if this would reshape Vantage’s business, it would reshape every bank’s business too.

In partnership with Custodia Bank, a Wyoming state-chartered bank, Vantage built the Hazel Network. It’s a division of Vantage Bank that gives community banks, regional banks, and credit unions access to the infrastructure, compliance packages, and shared payments network they need to innovate safely. For the first time, smaller institutions can take part in building payment networks that were once reserved for big banks and big tech.

So, where’s this all heading? Shawn expects far more assets to become tokenized: money market funds, ETFs, securities, real estate, even loans. Money will move faster across the economy, and that speed will unlock new products, more liquidity, and greater automation.

The result is less friction and more room for your business to focus on growth rather than paperwork.

Your next step

Tokenization is coming, and it can help your business move money faster while keeping it safe. Listen to the full podcast and start by talking with your bank about tokenized deposits and what they could mean for your cash flow.

If you’re a bank or credit union ready to explore this technology, reach out to Shawn at Vantage Bank about the Hazel Network. Vantage wants to learn about your business and help you prepare for what’s possible.

Member FDIC

Stablecoins are not FDIC-insured and involve risks, including potential loss of value, operational risks, and evolving regulatory requirements. Only traditional bank deposits and tokenized deposits qualify for FDIC Insurance.